Local Sports
Related Photos
-
Former Major League Baseball player Eddie Joost is featured during a special `Legends’ event at the Baseball Hall of Fame last Friday. contributed photo.
Discussion
Welcome to our story comments feature. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including the unpopular ones. We only ask that you keep your conversations clean, civil and on the topic of the story you are commenting on.
Coinciding with our websites redesign, we launched our new story comments feature through Disqus.
Disqus gives users the ability to log into our story comments feature so that they may be able to track their conversations, receive emails when their comments get a reply or to even have your comments update onto your Facebook or Twitter accounts.
For the time being, our story comments feature will continue to have the ability to post comments anonymously. We reserve the right to require registration in the future using your name and verified email address.
Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified at the newspaper’s discretion for a number of different reasons. Please follow our Online Rules of Conduct at all times.
RULES OF CONDUCT:
We reserve the right to remove comments that are unacceptable, to wit:
1. False and inacurate statements.
2. Personal attacks. Explicit name-calling.
3. Harassing, harmful, vulgar, obscene and defamatory language.
4. Threatening statements or statements that suggest violence.
5. Hate speech of any kind.
6. Intolerant comments on religion, race, age, gender, sexual preference or disabilities.
7. Accusations of criminal activity.
8. Content that is harmful to children and minors in any way.
9. References to any type of sexual activity and other private matters.
10. Random and inflammatory statements that are off topic.
11. Advertising of any kind.
12. Typing in all caps.
WE ENCOURAGE REASONABLE AND COURTEOUS COMMENTS THAT:
1. Create conversation on issues of interest and concern to fellow readers and local community members.
2. Express opinions and contrarian views.
3. Stimulate debate with respectful language.
4. Stay within the boundaries of these rules.
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SUSPEND OR TERMINATE ACCESS FOR:
1. Violating any of these Online Rules of Conduct.
2. Deliberately disrupting discussions with repetitive messages, meaningless messages or spam.
3. Misrepresentation of identity or impersonating another user.
WE WELCOME:
1. Flagging violations of these rules that you observe to our attention.
MONITORING:
We monitor comments regularly Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Approval of comments outside of this time will be sporadic.
Joost still has lots of juice
By ERIC AHLQVIST
Cooperstown Crier
Former Major League Baseball
player Eddie Joost, 92, has plenty
of juice left.
During a special “Legends”
event at the Hall of Fame last Friday,
Joost talked about his friendship
with Ted Williams; playing for
Hall of Fame managers Casey
Stengel and Connie Mack; his experiences
on the 1940 World Series
champion Cincinnati Reds; and
wondered out loud why the infield
he played on with the Philadelphia
A’s, which turned a still-record 217
double plays, isn’t represented in
the Hall of Fame.
Joost grew up in San Francisco
and said he started playing baseball
almost accidentally, as he said
there was nothing else to do in his
neighborhood.
``My family wasn’t destitute, but
it was close to it,’’ Joost said.
Joost broke into the major
leagues at the age of 20 with the
Reds, and four years later won the
World Series with the Reds.
``I was a utility infielder at the
time, but right before the Series
the second baseman had the lid of
an ice chest fall on his foot and
break it, and so I got to play every
game,’’ Joost recalled. ``We won
with pitching and defense, something
that still wins games today.’’
Before the 1943 season, Joost
was traded to Boston and clashed
with manager Casey Stengel, who
later won five straight World Series
titles with the New York Yankees
from 1949-53.
``Casey Stengel was not great a
manager,’’ Joost said. ``The only
team he was successful on was the
Yankees.’’
Joost said his feud with Stengel
was so bad, he would turn his chair
toward his locker and read a newspaper
during Stengel’s pre-game
pep talks.
Joost said his time in Boston
ended after one particular at bat.
Joost said the third base coach gave
him the bunt sign, even though he
had two strikes and two were out
with a runner on first.
Joost attempted to bunt and
fouled the ball off, which is recorded
as a strikeout.
``After the inning, Stengel asked
me what I thought I was doing and
I said the third base coach gave me
the bunt sign,’’ Joost said. ``He said
‘No he didn’t.’’’
Confused, Joost asked the third
base coach: ``Didn’t you give me the
bunt sign?’’
The third base coach replied:
``No, Casey told me to change the
signs yesterday but not to tell
you.’’
Although Joost did not enjoy his
time in Boston, he said he formed a
friendship with cantankerous leftfielder
Ted Williams, who many
consider the best hitter ever.
``He was great in the outfield
too,’’ Joost said. ``There are a lot of
negative things written about him
but he was a great man, and I’d be
the first to stand up for him if anyone
asked.’’
After being out of baseball for a
year, Joost was signed by Philadelphia
before the 1947 season, and
played with the A’s and manager
Connie Mack for nine seasons. His
best year at the plate was in 1949,
when he hit .263 with 23 home runs
and 81 runs batted in to go along
with 149 walks.
That was also the year he began
wearing eyeglasses, something that
was frowned on by some baseball
people.
``I was seeing two balls coming
at me, so I told Mr. Mack I needed
to start wearing glasses, and to his
credit he just told me to do what I
needed to do,’’ Joost said. ``Mr.
Mack was a great steadying influence
on the team, and I owe a lot to
him because he gave me a second
chance in the major leagues.’’
Also during that ’49 season,
Joost teamed with second baseman
Pete Sutter to turn 126 of the record
217 double plays.
``Pete Sutter was one of the great
second baseman of all time, it’s just
people never heard of him,’’ Joost
said. ``I call the Hall of Fame sometimes
and ask why our accomplishment
isn’t recognized in some way
here.’’
Hall of Fame spokesman Brad
Horn said there are thousands of
records in baseball, and there may
come a time when the double play
record becomes relevant to tell a
story.
Horn added members of the
Philadelphia A’s Historical Society
initially approached the museum
about having Joost speak.
``There are many fan organizations
that want to preserve memories
and legacies of certain players
and eras, and we were receptive to
having Eddie here,’’ Horn said.
- Local Sports
-
-
Pair complete lake swim
EMILY KERR, LEFT, David Bonderoff and Amy Hage Delli-Coli were all smiles after their lake swim on Saturday.
David Bonderoff, 17, of Cooperstown and Amy Hage Delli-Coli, 41, of Exeter, N.H swam the entire length of Otsego Lake last Saturday. They began their 9.2-mile swim at Springfield Landing at 7 a.m. on the north end of the lake, along with their friend, Emily Kerr, of Exeter, New Hampshire.
Continued ... -
Patriots have shot at another stellar season
The Cherry Valley-Springfield boys soccer team had a dream season last fall, coasting through the regular season undefeated and capturing its third straight Tri-Valley Championship title with a 3-0 victory over Morris.
Continued ... -
Former CCS star to play for Hartwick
Former Cooperstown girls basketball and Herkimer County Community College star Samantha Fox is taking her hardwood talents to Hartwick College next season.
Continued ... -
Deer suggestions made
A citizen task force for the 4F Wildlife Management Unit, which includes most of Otsego County, has recommended the DEC set a no net change in the estimated deer population.
Continued ... -
Hawkeyes players honored
Two Cooperstown Hawkeyes players earned Second Team All-League honors from the New York Collegiate Baseball league on Monday.
Continued ... - Thursday, August 19, 2010
-
Girl is in a league of her own
Some may argue that girls do not belong on the ballfield playing among boys, but a 13-year-old Little League girl from Plant City Fla., has proven she can hold her own.
Continued ... -
Perez to represent the East for National Title
Last spring, Elias (E.J.) Perez was the recipient of Cooperstown Youth Football’s inaugural Youth Football Camp Scholarship award, and recently attended the Offense/Defense football camp held in Rochester.
Continued ... -
Benefit golf tournament is Aug. 29
Prizes, good food and fun will be ``par for the course’’ at a benefit Golf Tournament on Sunday, Aug. 29, at the Otsego Golf Course. The Tournament is organized by the newly created Cooperstown Rotary Foundation (CRF), a nonprofit, tax deductible organization.
Continued ... -
Edmonds named athlete of the year
Cooperstown’s Caleb Edmonds did more than enough to earn Daily Star Athlete of the Year honors in track.
Continued ... - Thursday, August 5, 2010
-
Petroskey homers, but Hawkeyes eliminated
Cooperstown Hawkeyes owner Tom Hickey said on Monday the team’s inaugural season was a success on every level except for one.
Continued ... -
C’town Legion finishes season 11-8
The Cooperstown American Legion baseball team completewhat head coach Ed Dubben called a successful season by defeating Herkimer, 5-2, last Thursday at Doubleday Field.
Continued ... - Thursday, July 29, 2010
-
Dawson has harsh words for steroid users
Andre Dawson entered the Hall of Fame wearing a Montreal Expos cap on Sunday, but it was clear his heart was still in Chicago.
Continued ... -
Hall voting process restructured
Thanks to a restructuring in the way the National Baseball Hall of Fame selects veterans for enshrinement, the late George Steinbrenner might have a plaque in the Cooperstown shrine next summer.
Continued ... -
C’town girls lose first
The Clark Sports Center hosted four games in the girls summer basketball league last Wednesday.
Continued ... -
Hawkeyes will host playoff game
This much is sure: The Cooperstown Hawkeyes will host a playoff game at 5 p.m. on Saturday at Doubleday Field. Who their opponent will be though, is still very much up in the air. Cooperstown clinched a playoff berth with a 4-1 victory over Albany Tuesday evening at Doubleday Field and played two games on Wednesday. They are currently 21-19, a halfgame ahead of fourth place Glens Falls. They played Glens Falls at 1 p.m. on Wednesday and with a win would lock up third place and a likely first round match-up with the Oneonta Outlaws beginning Friday night.
Continued ...
The Outlaws ended their regular season on Tuesday with an 8-5 win at Albany. - Thursday, July 22, 2010
-
'Hawk,' 'Whitey,' 'God' to enter Hall
When former Cubs’ second baseman Ryne Sandberg was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, he took time during his speech to single out former teammate Andre Dawson, who was in attendance that day.
Continued ... -
Tennis tournament 'a success'
The third annual Chris Gentile Memorial Tennis Tournament was held last weekend at the Clark Sports Center.
Continued ... -
Ozzie to host Play Ball on Friday
He blazed a trail across the baseball world for parts of three decades, forever changing the game with fielding accomplishments never before seen.
Continued ... -
Hawkeyes in playoff hunt as season winds down
If the New York Collegiate Baseball League playoffs were to begin today, the Cooperstown Hawkeyes and Oneonta Outlaws would meet in a first round series. The top four teams in each division qualify for postseason play, and currently Oneonta is in second place and Cooperstown in third with one week left in the regular season.
Continued ... -
Cooperstown All Stars fall in final
The Cooperstown Major League All Star team advanced to the finals of the week-long Oneonta tournament, but fell to the hosts, 15- 8, in the championship game on Sunday.
Continued ...
-
